JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville announced Thursday that it’s adding a new position to address fire safety and prevention within Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
This news comes after a fire tore through a Durkeeville home, leaving one family with nothing.
JFRD is now urging people to be safe with not overloading electrical outlets and being careful with space heaters.
In this year alone, JFRD has been dispatched to 40 working structure fires, and there have been five deaths as a result.
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In Durkeeville, three people are now recovering from a house fire. The family has a message for others.
“Get them to a place where you know they can maybe ride the winter out, so they don’t have to use space heaters because it’s really not worth your life,” said Tenesha Hayes, a daughter of one of the Durkeeville fire victims.
JFRD is currently working to ensure all Jacksonville residents have working smoke detectors. If you know you don’t have a working smoke detector, please call 6-30 CITY. JFRD will even install it for you.